In my last post I mentioned that I’d write about the sacraments. In this post I discuss the Sacraments of Baptism, Holy Eucharist and Confirmation. The Sacraments are known as the Sacraments of Initiation because all three of them are necessary for one to be a full member of the Christian community.
Baptism
Why is baptism necessary? What does the Grace of Baptism accomplish?
Baptism is the sacrament of re-birth to a new and supernatural life! We are all born with original sin (very different from personal sin) thus the loss of Sanctifying Grace, which we inherited from our first parents, Adam & Eve. As a result, we are not allowed to enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus, through his passion, death and resurrection has given us the opportunity and means of entrance into Heaven. Baptism is necessary for salvation. In John 3:3-5 Jesus tells Nicodemus that unless we are born of water and spirit we cannot enter the kingdom of Heaven.
Catholic Baptism does five things:
1– It forgives all sins that may have been committed before a persons baptism including original sin, mortal sins and venial sins and it relieves the punishment for those sins.
2.— Baptism gives Sanctifying Grace….It makes the newly baptized person “A new creation.” (2 Cor. 5:17)
3.— Baptism turns the person into a newly adopted son of God and a member of Christ’s body. It incorporates us into the church which is the body of Christ (Gal 4:4-5).
4.— Baptism brings us into the the flock of the faithful and brings us to share in the royal priesthood of Christ (1Peter 2:9-10) Catholic baptism gives a share in the common priesthood of all believers and it brings about the sacramental bond of the unity of Christians. CCC #1271.
5.— Finally, baptism leaves an indelible spiritual mark (character) of belonging to Christ, on the soul. Nothing you can do will take away this mark even if you sin a million times. Those sins may not grant you salvation, but you will always carry that mark of a Christian on your soul, therefore making re-baptism impossible!
The ritual of baptism does not bring God’s love into being as if that love never existed before the ceremony. Baptism is the Church’s way of celebrating and enacting the embrace of God who first loved us from the moment of our conception. Baptism celebrates a family’s and a community’s experience of that love in the baptized.
There are other life experiences—birth, death, washing, growing and so forth—that are celebrated in Baptism. The water represents life, death, cleansing and growth, and it recalls the flood waters of Noah’s day and the saving waters of the Red Sea parted by Moses. The candle symbolizes our status as an “Easter people” and signifies the way that the Church “passes the torch” of Christian commitment to those being baptized. The white garment represents the Church’s belief that Baptism sets us free from Original Sin.
Baptism is a true sacrament instituted by Christ. It is administered by washing with natural water and at the same time invoking the Most Holy Trinity. It is necessary for salvation.
Baptism does not only happen to the individual, it also happens to the body of Christ, the Church. That’s why the rite insists that we celebrate Baptism with the Christian assembly, with the community present and actively participating. It is, after all, the community who is welcoming the new members, journeying with them, providing models for them, supporting and nourishing them. Baptism begins with God’s love and care revealed to us through Christ. It continues with us, the Church, living and enacting God’s love and care through Christ to the world. That’s a serious commitment!
Holy Eucharist:
The Catholic Church teaches that the Holy Mass is a real sacrifice, instituted by Christ at the Last Supper. It is the same sacrifice as the sacrifice on Calvary, in which Jesus Christ, who is both priest and victim, offers Himself to the Father in an un bloody manner, under the appearance of bread and wine. The Eucharistic sacrifice is offered to God in praise, thanksgiving, petition and atonement for the living and the dead. Thus, the mystery of the Eucharist summarizes the whole mystery of our redemption. At every celebration of the Eucharist, we are spiritually brought back to the paschal Triduum…the events of Holy Thursday, to the Last Supper, to the death and resurrection of Christ!
At every Mass the bread and wine are transubstantiated by the priest into the flesh and blood of Christ. The Eucharist, Holy Communion, is therefore Jesus— the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ. Even when it is not received, it remains the Body, Blood, Soul and divinity of Jesus Christ and is to be honored and adored. The whole of Christ is present in either form and is received by the person.
Scripture tells us that unless we “eat His body and drink His blood, we have no life within us and we do not have eternal life”.
Holy Communion preserves the supernatural life of the soul by giving the person receiving it the supernatural strength to resist temptation.
Holy Communion increases the life of grace already present by strengthening the virtues and gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is important to know however, that the main effect of Holy Communion is Not to remit sin. In fact a person who is conscious committing mortal sin commits a sacrilege by going to Communion!
Holy Communion cures the spiritual diseases of the soul by cleansing it of venial sins and the temporal punishment due to sin because of the acts of perfect love of God. The extent of this remission depends on the intensity of our charity when receiving Communion
Holy Communion gives us spiritual joy in the service of Christ, in defending His caused in performing the duties of our state of life and in making the sacrifices required of us in imitating the life of our savior!
Christ promises us that Holy Communion is a pledge of heavenly glory and of our bodily resurrection from the dead (John 6:55).
Confirmation:
If baptism is the sacrament of re-birth to a new supernatural life, confirmation is the sacrament of maturity and coming of age, it compliments and completes the sacrament of baptism. The fullness of the Spirit was to be given to all people. On several occasions Christ promised this outpouring of the Holy Spirit, a promise that was He fulfilled first on Easter Sunday and then in a more impactful way, at Pentecost. “Filled with the Holy Spirit the apostles began to proclaim “the mighty works of God.” (John 20:22; Acts 2:1-4) Those who believed in the apostolic preaching and were baptized, received the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
“The Sacrament of Confirmation completes the baptismal Grace and the Sacraments of Initiation. By the Sacrament of Confirmation, the baptized are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, they can defend the faith by word and deed.” (CCC 1285)
Confirmation is a true sacrament instituted by Christ and is different from baptism. It is administered by laying-on of hands and anointing with chrism accompanied by prayer. The chrism is blessed by the bishop who administers the sacrament.
The effect of the Sacrament of Confirmation is to give strength in Faith and for the confession of faith. As in the sacrament of Baptism, Confirmation also leaves an indelible mark (character) upon the soul of the candidate— a mark that cannot be removed by anyone or anything, even if one goes on to deny his/her faith…
Please come back for more on the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church.